Paul,

I'm impatiently waiting for you to get onto the Thirty Years' War - all those white, imperialist, violent and sadistic bastards. Give it a go, you'll love it !

Joe

Hi Foxy,

"Captain Cook's landing (28th April) can also be done well if it included our Indigenous People in the ceremonies - making it about inclusion and a renewed appreciation of an ancient culture."

I don't know how there can be positive inclusion when the vast majority of inhabitants were totally excluded on the original day, and continue to be excluded in so many ways. Like 26th January, Cook Day is a celebration of European Colonialism, which is of no positive significance to Aboriginal people.

It would be a bit like, as I said earlier, if the Japanese people wanted to demonstrate there now warm and fuzziness for Australia. To show there are no hard feelings the Japanese PM comes down to Darwin 19th February (Bombing of Darwin Day 1942), and had a very nice all inclusive day celebrating the now close bond between Japan and Australia. A replica of a Japanese Zero could fly over, drop a couple of bombs on Darwin Harbour to the applause of the gathered throng. Then all the hobnobs (no riff-raff allowed) could retire to the marquee and consume meat pies and yummy sushi, washed down with lots of Aussie beer and Japanese sake. What a splendid day, Australia could return the favour on Hiroshima Day.

A significant day for celebrating total inclusion is yet to come.

Something of interest, New Zealand has a national day 6th February, Waitangi Day. There is still much debate, and divided opinion as whether the treaty signing was and advantage or a disadvantage to Maori people. Celebration of the day has become very much a Maori tradition, not by choice of Maori, pakeha (Europeans) are as welcome as anyone to join in the large gathering all over Aotearoa and Australia. There are cultural displays, singing, dancing, food, a real carnival day.

cont

cont

Today however there is a strong feeling among some pakeha that the day should be done away with, because they feel it does not include them, and it has no real significance. Is it because European Kiwi's find it in general, difficult to mix with large numbers of Maori. In the extended family we have several pakeha who have married in, or come in, good people one and all, but non would dream of visiting the marae (meeting house) for any length of time, one pakeha and 500 Maori.

Paul,

You mentioned Indigenous higher education. 2018 results came out last week, with nearly 2,900 Indigenous university graduates in 2018, up 10 % on 2017 graduate numbers. If course, the numbers probably under-estimate the actual figures by about 20 %. Either way, the total number of Indigenous university graduates is now close to sixty thousand. One hundred thousand by 2026-2027 is likely. Of course, many will be sucked into the useless Indigenous Industry, but hopefully many will escape from it.

Two-thirds of students and graduates are women. Indigenous women are commencing tertiary studies at higher rates than Australian non-Indigenous men, but at about 70 % of the rate for domestic non-Indigenous women. Taking social class and remoteness into account, that doesn't sound all that bad.

Around 20 % of students and graduates are/were in post-graduate courses.

One disappointing figure is the mere 0.75 % increase in Indigenous commencements, but commencing domestic student numbers declined by 1.7 %, so I guess the differential is still positive, around 2.5 %. In sum, about 1.8 % of all domestic commencing students were Indigenous.

"Better off" ? Well, infant mortality, fewer people dying from starvation during long droughts, and longer life expectancy, would be some factors. Access to TV - if you think that's a positive - would be another, as well as access to housing, cars, etc., etc. Indigenous people rubbing up against other Indigenous people from all over the one country, i.e. Australia, would potentially be another. Knowledge about the outside world might be seen as a Good Thing. Some freedom from superstition for most Indigenous people might be another. All the sparkly things you take for granted might be others.

Still, you can counter all that by condemning all sides in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) which wiped out maybe 20 % of the population of central and northern Europe, and divert the discussion that way :)

Cheers,

Joe

"Still, you can counter all that by condemning all sides in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) which wiped out maybe 20 % of the population of central and northern Europe, and divert the discussion that way :)"

No need to be a smart arse Joe, All you have is a bunch of repetitious education figures and nothing else. given that for the first 116 years of university education in Australia the Aboriginal participation rate for boys and girls was equal. A BIG FAT ZERO! So even one attending would be a massive improvement.

Mortality rate, a joke, in 1788 the European infant mortality rate was 1 in 3. The indigenous population was almost wiped out by poxy European diseases within a short time after colonisation. BTW what was the infant mortality rate of Aboriginal children pre-colonisation? You're the man with the figures.

"fewer (aboriginal) people dying from starvation during long droughts" Just because Europeans through ignorance and bad farm management failed, just as they are today, does not mean aboriginal people were dying because of dry conditions, unlike the European aboriginal people were extremely adaptable. Again give us the figures.

Life expectancy in mid 18th century England was 37, what was it for aboriginals at that time? I believe no worse, given the mass of poxy European diseases their life expectancy was most likely greater.

"Knowledge about the outside world" Many of the first convicts believed China lay just over the Blue Mountains west of Sydney.

What else have you got? Nothing

Dear Paul,

You've of course pointed out some very valid points.

I guess I was just trying to make the best out of a
situation that's going to happen anyway. The celebration
of Cook's landing. I thought that by including our Indigenous
People somehow now - might help.
I'm trying for some balance here.

But probably a bad idea.